Inscription WE FLY FROM THE FACE OF JOSHUA THE SON OF NAVE THE ROBBER By this it appears that in those daies the Phoenicians began to frequent those Parts And although the Greeks do attribute these Voyages to their Hercules yet the Temple upon the Streights dedicated to that God manifestly proves him to have been a Phoenician for he was worshipt according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Phoenicians and not Graecians The Temple is said to be built by the Tyrians and magnificent Sacrifices performed to him after the manner of that Nation Strabo is particular upon what ground it was built and the occasion which moved the Tyrians to the Work all which may be read in that Author But to return to HERCULES Leaving his own Country and being attended with a multitude who were forced to the same necessity he coasted about Spain and Africa and by the care and diligence of his Followers he built many Towns and Cities conquering all Iberia and those Western Tracts is said at last to come into Gaul and there built Alesia and Nemausus In a Battle against the Ligurians and their two Leaders Bergion and Albion or as others say Alebion and Dercynus when he had no other Weapons left him they feign'd it rained Stones from Heaven in his favour and that all the fields were covered with them The occasion of this Fable is the multitude of Stones lying scatter'd between Arelate and Massilia which to this day is called La Crau He is said also to have passed the Alpes but this is looked upon by Livy as a Fable also for the truth is it is not probable that his occasions would permit him to make too great Inroads into the Continent but by far likelyer that he contented himself with possessing the Sea-coasts the Ports and Havens of those Countries to which he arrived In Liguria there is a Haven that bore his Name at this day it is known by the name of Monaco and was anciently called Herculis Monaeci Portus the Haven of Hercules Monaecus At his first Landing the Ligurians opposed him and of this Fight not only the Poets and Historians make mention but the Astronomers also and they do not only mention it but add that the Remembrance of it is placed in the Heavens in the Sign which Firmicus calls Ingeniculum or the bending of the Knee for by weariness in the fight Hercules it seems was reduced to that posture and so placed in the Heavens Hitherto I have attended HERCULES in his Voyages within the Streights I shall now follow him into the Western Sea and that upon the Authority of Marcellinus who recites Timagines for his Author viz. That the Dorienses followed the Ancient Hercules to inhabit the Sea-coasts of Gaul lying upon the Ocean Let us see now by what Circumstances Marcellinus writes this Voyage of Hercules that the truth of it may more evidently appear First He complains of all former Writers Timagines only excepted namely that in their Histories of Gaul they had delivered down things by halves only and so had given the World a very slender or little or no account of the Original of that Country Secondly He applauds Timagines for his diligence in searching out those things which were unknown to other Authors and that he did it out of many Records Thirdly and lastly He promises out of Timagines to report the truth clearly and distinctly Now these Records that this Timagines searcht into were in all probability Phoenician or Syrian and for that very reason unknown to the Greeks and Latins for this Timagines as Bochartus proves was a Syrian and so understood their Language and Plutarch reports that he wrote a History of Gaul By the Authority therefore of this Timagines we find that this Hercules with his Dorienses ' possest the Sea-coast of that Nation that lies upon this Western Ocean That this Hercules was the Phoenician no doubt is to be made seeing he is called the Ancient and that the Dorienses his Attendants received their name from him as I have in another place evidenced viz. from Dora a City in Phoenicia and not from the Graecians Seeing that Hercules arrived into those Seas why may he not be supposed to be in Britain also Pliny writes that Midacritus first brought Tynn into Greece now it is certain as before has been shewn that Mettal was carried from the Cassiterides long before any Greek had entered the Western Sea This very thing induces Bochartus to think that for Midacritus Melicarthus should be read and that this Hercules first of all shewed the Phoenicians those Mines which afterwards proved so profitable to that Nation As upon the Sea-coast of Belgium there was an Altar inscribed to Hercules so in Devonshire a Country abounding in Tynn there was a Promontory called by his Name which to this day retains something in two little Towns Hartlow or Hertland alias Herton as also in the Promontory it self called Herty-point Add to this the Opinion the Ancients had concerning the Elysian Fields how they were supposed as I have writ in another place to be upon the Coast of Britain or at least in the Western Ocean as likewise the story of Isacius Tzetzes an Author of no small credit with Mr. Cambden concerning Julius Caesar which story though it be a Fable yet it shews the Opinions of the Ancients namely That Caesar was carried by I know not what Spirit from Gaul into a Western Island inhabited by Ghosts only and by the same brought back again We have little reason to doubt but that Hercules his discent into Hell might be grounded upon his Navigation into these parts After his death He was worshipt as a God in all Nations in some places young Youths were sacrificed before him and no Women admitted into his Temple His Bones were preserved in his Temple upon the Streights and Divine Honours performed to them although the main part of his Worship was Phoenician yet the Greeks intruded also hanging up several Trophies of their own inventions He was placed upon a Stone Altar a Hydra on one side and Diomedes his Horse on the other in memory of those two Monsters destroyed by him He was worshipt in Gaul and Britain under the name of OGMIUS and possibly from the Phoenician Og signifying the Compass of the Sea and especially the Western Ocean which Ocean Hercules was the first that discovered it From this Og the Graecians had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying the same thing Bochartus is of opinion that he is to be derived from Agemion signifying a Stranger and Forreigner but I scarcely believe the Britains or Gauls would borrow a Phoenician word to revile one of their own Nation This OGMIUS was represented as may be seen in the foregoing Figure An Old and decrepid Man bald Pated his Hair white a wrinckled Skin and Sun-burnt after the manner of Old Sea-men a Globe in one hand with a Compass in
a place called Wodens-Beorth or Wodens-Dic that is to say Woden's Mount the conclusion of which was that the Saxons lost the day with the ruine of their whole Army and Ceaulin for this or other miscarriages was driven out of his Kingdom and the year after died in Exile after he had Reigned thirty two years CEARLIK CEARLIK the Son of Guthwolf Brother of the late King followed his Uncle Ceaulin advanced as may be guessed from his Father's vertues and the dislike the people had to the Line of Ceaulin who by his Son Cuthwin left two Grandchildren Kenbald and Cuth whose Right it was to inherit but the latter of these Reigned afterwards in his Posterity being the Grandfather of the famous Ine the eleventh King of this Province whose Brother Ingils was Progenitor in the fourth degree to Egbert that reduced the whole Heptarchy into an entire Monarchy This Cearlik as he had obtained the Kingdom by fraud and usurpation so he held it but a short while Reigning five years and odd months and them without any action worthy of remembrance CEOWOLF CEOWOLF the Son of Cuth the third and youngest Son of Kenric after the death of his Cousin-German Cearlic obtained the Kingdom During the whole time of his Reign which lasted twelve years he had continual wars sometimes with the Britains then with Redwald King of the East-Angles and afterwards with the South-Saxons with interchangeable success but saith Huntington with the greatest loss to them of the South In these Wars he died leaving his Kingdom to Kingils KINGILS KINGILS the Son of Ceola younger Brother to the late Ceowolf second Son of Cuth who was the third Son of Kearic succeeded his Uncle in the Kingdom He assumed for his Associate Cuichelm his Brother or as Florent of Worcester and Matthew of Westminster write his Son In their third year with joynt Forces they engaged the Britains at Beandune now Bindon in Dorcetshire and at the first encounter put them to flight with the slaughter of above two thousand Cuichelm proud with this success and envying the glory of Edwin who now Reigned in great honour King of the Northumberlands and had lately molested the West-Saxons drew a greater War upon himself and Associate by sending an Assassin to murther that Prince The name of this Villain was Eumcrus who under pretence of a Message from his Master was admitted to the presence of Edwin then at his Court on Easter-monday on the River Derwent in Yorkshire being advanced up to the King as if he would deliver his Embassie he suddenly drew forth a poysoned weapon which he had privately hid under his Coat and made a blow at him but by the interposition of Lilla one of the Kings Attendants who stepping between received the Ponyard through his own body the thrust was put off yet not so fully but that part of the weapon reached the King's Person By this time the whole company came in and incompassed the Murtherer who now grown desperate died not tamely but revenged his fate with the death of Forder a Courtier who next pressed upon him Edwin thus delivered though lying under cure resolves upon Revenge and promiseth Paulinus who had been long working him to the Christian Faith that if God would bestow Victory on him over his Enemies he would embrace the Faith and receive Baptism With these assurances given he raises an Army and invades the West-Saxons and with that success that overcoming them in several battels he gets into his hands many of those who had conspired his death some of which he executes others pardons and at last returns with great Honour into his own Country This expedition happened about the year 625. Four years after Kingils and Cuichelm had a battel with Penda the Mercian at Cirencester the result of which was a League of peace and amity betwixt them About this time the Kingdom of the West-Saxons received the Faith by the example of Kingils who was converted thereto by the preaching of Berinus and encouragement of Oswald who was then Suiter to his Daughter and received him at the Font the circumstances of which as likewise the progress of Religion under his success take altogether out of Bede who hath exactly related it The Conversion of the West-SAXONS THE Nation of the West-Saxons anciently called Gevisses in the Reign of Kingils received the Faith of Christ by the preaching of Berinus Bishop who by the advice of Pope Honorius came into Britain having promised by his assistance to go into the innermost Countries of the English where never yet Doctour had been and there sow the seed of holy Faith Whereupon by the command of the same Pope he received Episcopal Orders at the hands of Asterius Bishop of Genua But being arrived at Britain and first setting foot on the Country of the Guisses finding them all Pagans in the highest degree he thought it more profitable to preach the Word there than by going further to hunt out those whom he first intended Wherefore preaching in the aforesaid Province when the King himself first catechized and instructed together with his People were washing in the fountain of Baptism it happened that the most holy and victorious King of the Northumberlands Oswald was then present and received him at the Font. By a blessed conjunction taking him for his Son in the second Birth whose Son himself was to be by the marriage of his Daughter Both the Kings thereupon gave to the same Bishop the City of Dorchester for an Episcopal Seat where having built up and dedicated Churches and by labouring converted many people He departed this life and was buried in the same City This King dying Cenwalch his Son and Successour refused to receive the Faith and Sacraments of the Heavenly kingdom and not long after lost his Earthly one For putting away his wife the sister of Penda King of Mercia he took another wherefore being invaded by him he was driven out of his Kingdom and forced to flie to Anna King of the East-Angles with whom living in exile three years he acknowledged the Faith and embraced the truth For the King with whom he lived in exile was a good man and happy in a good and holy off-spring When Genwalch was restored to his Kingdom there came into his Province out of Ireland a certain Bishop by name Agilbert by Nation a Gaul but yet who had been in Ireland for the reading of the Scriptures not a little while He joyned himself with the King on his own accord taking upon him the Ministry of preaching whose learning and industry when the King perceived he made motion that he would accept there an Episcopal Seat and remain Bishop of his Nation who at his requests for many years ruled that Province with Sacerdotal Jurisdiction At last the King who understood the Saxon tongue only growing weary of a forraign Dialect underhand brought another Bishop of his own language into the Province by name Wini who
his daies four Legions were in Britain Britain saith he is encompassed about with the Ocean and almost as big as our World the Romans there inhabiting have brought it under their Dominion and four Legions do keep in subjection an Island Peopled with so great a multitude To preserve all their Provinces the Romans had but twenty nine Legions out of which Britain had four by which we may see what a great proportion this Island bore to the whole World and how considerable a part thereof it was esteemed in those daies GALBA GALBA was chosen by the Souldiers Emperour he was nothing related to the Family of the Gaesars but undoubtedly of Noble Blood The name of Galba how given to his Ancestors is variously conjectured by Suetonius Among other Opinions he puts this down as probable that it was derived from the Gaulish word GALBA signifying Fatness which Mr. Cambden proves was also British and besides his Name we shall find very little of this Emperour relating to Britain This we read that he slew Petronius Turpilianus Lieutenant of this Island under Nero having no other Crimes to lay to his charge but that he continued faithful to his Master when other Governours of Provinces were engaged in Conspiracies He held the Empire but seven Months and then was slain by Otho's Conspiracies He was old and Covetous by which means he lost the love of his Souldiers he was generally esteemed a greater Man when private than a Prince and would alwaies have been accounted worthy of the Empire had he never been advanced to it He continued Trebellius Maximus in his Government of Britain whose actions shall be related under the next Emperour OTHO OTHO by the death of Galba assumed the Empire a Prince soft and effeminate Trebellius Maximus continued still Lieutenant of Britain a Man as was said before given to Ease and Sloth having no experience in War no Conduct but holding the Province at first by a kind of Court-like and affable Behaviour And now the Britains began to suck in the pleasures of Vice and to entertain the Luxuries of Rome so that Trebellius gave himself to Ease finding no great cause to molest the Britains who were so ready to comply with him in a lazy Cessation But the Roman Souldiers who had been alwaies kept in exercise or busied in some Expedition or other now being left to an Idle life as it alwaies happens fell to Civil Dissensions Trebellius by them was grown hated and despised as it seems for his niggardly and covetous Temper and this aversion they had entertained against their General was heightened by Roscius Gaelius Legate of the twentieth Legion an ancient Enemy of his insomuch that oftentimes by flight and hiding himself he escaped the fury of his Army afterwards debasing himself in a low and creeping manner he held a precarious Authority as if he and his Army had agreed that they should enjoy the Licentiousness of their living and he his safety But when the Civil Wars brake out between Otho and Vitellius then began Trebellius and Gaelius to flie into greater and more open Discords Trebellius laid to Gaelius his charge the spreading of Sedition and drawing the Souldiers from Discipline and Obedience on the other side Caelius upbraided him of defrauding and pillaging the Legions amidst these shameful Contentions the modesty of the Army was so corrupted and their Confidence grown to that height that the Auxiliary Forces stuck not publickly to give Ill language to their General and most of the Cohorts and bands of Souldiers openly withdrew unto Caelius Trebellius plainly perceived they fled unto Vitellius who by this time was Emperour for Otho governed but 95 daies VITELLIUS AFTER the flight of Trebellius the Province continued in quiet notwithstanding the Consular Lieutenant General was removed the two Legates of the Legions in his absence governed Affairs with equal and joynt Authority but Calius bore the chief sway as being the man of greatest Spirit Trebellius being come to the Emperour was received with little Honour as one that had run away from his Souldiers that Vectius Bolanus was placed in his stead After him was sent by the Emperour the fourteenth Legion who by Nero upon some occasions had been drawn out of Britain This Legion had stuck faithful to Otho against Vitellius and notwithstanding the death of Otho and the advancement of Vitellius yet continued they their Love to their former Prince insomuch that oftentimes flying out into Mutinies and not acknowledging themselves as a conquered Legion they were hardly quieted and with much difficulty removed into Britain And it appeareth out of Tacitus that during the Contention between Otho and Vitellius for the Empire many Forces were transported from Britain to serve in those bloody Wars so that the minds of the Souldiers as well in this Island as in other Provinces stood divided in their Affections And now hardly was Bolanus warm in his Government but Vespasian began to appear for the Empire and new Wars were beginning so that no doubt the fourteenth Legion discontented with Vitellius secretly favoured the cause of Vespatian Bolanus during these Commotions was not able to preserve Discipline much less to attempt any thing upon the Britains The Divisions continued the same in the Army as in the time of Trebellius only this difference that Bolanus was innocent and not hated for any Vices and carried himself so equally that though he had not the Authority of a General yet he ruled by the Affections of the Souldiery And now Vitellius fearing the Power of Vespatian whose Forces began daily to encrease wrote unto Bolanus for Aids but he was not able to send him any partly because the Britains were not sufficiently quieted but taking the advantage of these Diffensions among the Romans raised continually new Commotions and partly because the Souldiers of the fourth Legion incensed against Vitellius were sent for over by Letters from Mutianus in favour of Vespatian In this condition was Britain during the Government of Bolanus when Vitellius was deposed about the tenth Month of his reign He was a great Glutton and so inordinately given to the satisfying of his Appetite that it was the great employment of his Captains from all Provinces to provide him the most delicate Fares he is reported at one Supper to have been served with two thousand dishes of the choicest Fish seven thousand of Fowl and in the short time of his Reign Tacitus saith he had wasted nine hundred millions of Sestercies which amounteth to about seven millions sterling He was by nature bloody insolent and haughty during his Prosperity and as base and dejected in Adversity He had not courage after his Defeat to die like a Roman much less an Emperour but lived to the reproaches of an Ignominious death With his hands bound behind him and a Rope about his neck he was led through the Market place the People all along reviling him unto the place of Execution
History and seeing they make the same Persons Monarchs of this Island as the Romans do I cannot be blamed if in setting down the Actions of Forreign Princes I give precedence to the Roman Records and it is a sufficient warrant why hitherto I have made the Roman Emperours Kings of this Island but to return to Commodus THE CONTINUATION OF THE Roman History Under the EMPEROUR COMMODUS As it relateth to This ISLAND WE read that under this Emperour Britain was full of Wars and seditious Troubles for the Nations Northward breaking down the Wall which was raised to keep them out wasted the Roman Pale and cut in pieces and destroyed the Romans that came against them both Captain and Souldier To repress these Tumults and reduce the Province Commodus in all haste sends Ulpius Marcellus a prime Commander of those times who with so much Conduct and Fortune drives them back and repays their Insolence that in a short time it appears he had done too much for he not only gained the envy of Commodus but by his worthy Actions forfeits his Commission and was recalled The Vigilance of this Captain is thus described Although by nature he was not given to sleep yet that he might improve that Faculty he used Art also by inuring himself to fasting and abstinence for the bread of his Table was brought from Rome lest being new it might too much swell him when on the other hand the staleness of it coming so far would be sure to tempt him no farther than to what was convenient and necessary And being desirous that all about him might be as watchful every Evening he wrought twelve Tables which were usually made of the Linden-tree wood and gives order to one of his Servants that hour by hour he should give out one of them to the Souldiers till they were all delivered that they might not think it grievous to keep watchful whilest they saw their General himself so vigilant Britain being brought to Obedience by so worthy a Commander after he was Recalled began to fall into more dangerous Commotions which proceeded not from the Britains but the Dissensions of the Roman Camp for the Reins of Discipline being let loose all licentious Wantonness brake in First they began to be stubborn and unruly next openly they refused the Command and Government of Commodus And although he was stiled Britannicus by his Flatterers yet the Legions in Britain attempted to set up another Emperour They complained of Evil Counsellors the chief whereof was Perennis the Emperours principal Favourite him they accused that in the British War he had removed Senators from Command and placed over the Souldiers Men only of the Equestral Degree that he had conspired against the life of the Emperour for which they declared him Traytour and an Enemy to the Army and so fifteen hundred in the name of the rest went to Rome carrying their Grievances on the point of their Swords and were so terrible to Commodus that to satisfie them he was constrained to give up Perennis and his Son to their fury who after many Indignities as Whipping c. publickly beheaded Them After the death of this great Favourite and his Son Commodus disowns all their proceedings as done without his Approbation by which means he appeases the Souldiers but immediately upon their removal grew worse and worse doing far greater Injuries by his new Minion Cleander than he had done by his Favourite Perennis so that the Souldiers in Britain continued still in their Resolutions of choosing a new Emperour which made Commodus send his Letters unto Helvius Pertinax who was then in Liguria and was afterwards Emperour to hasten into Britain At his Arrival he found all things in disorder the Souldiers upon a new Election and himself none having yet resolved upon the Person in a fair way to be chosen but presently after the good-will of the Army withdrew from him for they were given to understand that he had impeached Antistius Burrus and Arrius Antoninus of high Treason against Commodus so that finding as may be gathered that himself was not likely to be gainer by these Seditious proceedings he gave himself totally to the suppressing of them which in some measure he performed but not without great danger to himself being almost slain by the mutiny of one Legion as left for dead upon the place which thing he afterwards severely revenged but at the present sought a dismission from his Charge so that Clodius Albinus succeeded him a Man of great Birth and fortunate Him after many worthy Exploits in Britain Commodus created Caesar giving him power in a Letter he wrote to him to assume the Scarlet Robe and to wear it even in his presence saving without golden Fringes This he did partly to strengthen himself by the Adoption of so worthy a Man and partly to gain the strength of the British Army for about this time Avidius Cassius began to usurp the Empire and Septimius Severus was making of a Party Albinus upon the receipt of this Letter understanding the drift of Commodus refuses the Honour yet afterwards hearing of his death which by some mistake was reported about he ascended the Tribunal and before the British Army made this Oration The Oration of CLODIUS ALBINUS Lieutenant of Britain IF the Senate of Rome had its Ancient Power and so great Authority had not been invested in a single Person the publick management of Affairs bad never come into the hands of such as Nero Vitellius and Domitian Under the Government of Consuls were our Ancestors the Ceioni Albini and Posthumi of whom your Fathers who themselves had it from their Progenitors have learned many things And truly the Senate it was that annext Africa to the Roman Empire Gaul and Spain were subdued by the Senate The Senate gave Laws to the Eastern Nations The Senate invaded the Parthians and had conquered them had not the fortune of the Common-wealth at that time placed over the Roman Army a covetous Lord. Caesar invaded Britain himself a Senatour being then not so much as a Dictator and this Commodus how much better had it been if he had stood in awe of the Senate To the daies of Nero the Senate held up their Authority and passed Sentence on that worthless and debauched Prince condemning him to death who had the power of Life and Death Wherefore fellow Souldiers the name of CAESAR which Commodus proffered me I ntterly renounce Let the Senate command and dispose of Provinces Let the Senate make us Consuls and why do I say the Senate You your selves and your Fathers for even you shall all be Senatours And yet this Great Common-wealths Man when time served did not afterwards stick to assume the Titles and Honour which now for private Reasons he refused and against which he so much declaimed and died in asserting to himself the Imperial Dignity against Severus the wearing whereof he so much reproveth in another
for Ethelred the Mercian continually molested him on the one hand and Edric dispossest of his Right sate not down with his loss but pursued all means to recover it by force so that gaining the Assistance of the South-Saxons to whose Protection he fled he enters Kent with an Army and proclaims his Title to the Crown many flocked unto him whilst others adhered to Lothair Thus the Kingdom of Kent was not only vexed with forreign forces but miserably divided in it self At last in a bloody battel Lothair was shot through with a Dart and dyed under his Chirurgeon's hands In him saith Malmsbury were punished the murders committed by his Brother Egbert because he made a scoff at the death of his Kinsmen and laughed at the publick mournings of the people But we shall find divine Vengeance following the Sons of Egbert himself and the whole Family for the Crown continued not in it to the third Generation Lothair reigned ten years and was buried at Canterbury among his Predecessors EDRIC EDRIC his Uncle Lothair being dead had none who could claim before him yet during his short Reign of two years he was continually exercised in Civil Wars and finally slain in them What were the Causes of his troubles Historians have not related possibly they rose from Lothair's Faction not suppressed with his death or it may be from the general hatred of the people to the whole Family which had been so deeply embrued in the blood of their beloved Princes And this seemeth more likely for his Brother Wigtred though a virtuous youth and not personally engaged in the Crimes of his House yet came not to the Crown till seven years after his Brothers death no Cause being related why he was so long held from it unless it proceeded from the following Wars For Ceadwalla the West-Saxon an ambitious and turbulent Prince taking advantage of the civil Commotions and marching easily through the Kingdom of the South-Saxons whom he had subdued entered Kent with an Army and miserably spoiled the Country with fire and sword laying waste where-ever he came the Kentish men though at variance among themselves yet in the publick danger reconciling their home differences unite all parties against the common Enemy and with joynt force meet him in a set Battel The West-Saxons not able to withstand their violence were driven back with great slaughter leaving Mollo their King's Brother a prey to the Enemy who in the flight with twelve of his Attendance to avoid the heat of pursuit hid himself in a Cottage but either discovered or betrayed was beset by the pursuers and there burnt alive Ceadwalla nearly touched with his Brothers misfortune and his own dishonour rallies his dispersed forces and making head again sets upon the greedy pursuers routs and chases them into their own Country and never left the Province till with fire and sword he had revenged the death of his Brother WIGTRED VVIGTRED the Brother of Edric obtained the Kingdom about the year 693. Ceadwalla being dead he purchased his peace of King Inas with a round Sum of Money and governed quietly for the space of thirty years Bede mentioneth one Swebhard that reigned with him possibly some Prince of a contrary Faction and ascribeth to Wigtred thirty three years He was a Prince that highly favoured the Church as it was termed in those daies by granting several priviledges and immunities to Religious persons and exempting them from publick Contributions Subsidies Tolls Taxes and Imposts especially in a full Synod of his whole Clergy held at a place called Becanceld in which himself presided among many liberties in general conferred on them he particularly by name priviledged these Monasteries namely Upminster Raculf Sudminster Dofras Folcanstan Hymming Stepes and Hor with severe Anathema's to all his Successours or any persons whatsoever that should at any time violate or infringe these his Royal Concessions which in aeternam rei memoriam were to be kept upon Record in Christ-Church in Canterbury and this done for the health of his Soul and the Souls of his Predecessours Such was the Zeal of these times heightned and improved by the pride and ambition of the Clergy to gain honour and riches to themselves by preaching whatever was done to them was done to the person of Christ but from what knowledg this Zeal was likely to spring we may learn from that sad though ingenuous confession of King Wigtred himself who in a grant afterwards made of some lands in Thanet to Ebba an Abbess plainly tells the World that not being able to write his name he had set his mark to the Deeds namely the sign of the Cross as likewise did his Queen Kynigith and the rest of his Nobles not likely to have more skill than their Soveraign Nay the Clergy themselves without any injury done to them may be shrewdly suspected not to be much exceeding in knowledge for the way of their subscriptions is per signum manus and we are certainly informed of the times not two hundred years after and that from King Alfred himself alearned and pious Prince in his sorrowful Epistle upon that occasion to Wulfug a Bishop That on this side Humber there were few Priests that understood their Latin prayers or could turn them into English so few faith he that when I began to Reign on all the South-side of the Thames I remember but one Such a mixture of blind devotion and ignorance possessed those times Another Councel this King Wigtred held at Berghamsted which is found in a famous Manuscript entituled TEXTUS ROFFENSIS composed by Ernulph Bishop of Rochester in the year 1116 but because it is omitted by Lambard and in several places as Sr. Henry Spelman confesseth not understood rightly by himself I have purposely omitted especially considering that there is nothing of moment in it which bears not the same stamp as his other Constitutions being stuft with many Immunities granted to the Clergy with additions of certain pecuniary mulcts for the breach of Fasting-daies Adulteries and Theft only thus much I thought would not be improper namely to set down that part of it which particularly relates to the strict observation of the Lords-day which is the first that we meet with on this occasion and is thus found in the 10 11 and 12 Articles of this Councel The Old Saxon. The English Gif eshe ofer dryhtnes haere þeoþ ƿeorc ƿyrce an sunnan aefen efter hire setl gange oþ monan aefenes setlgang LXXX scill de dryhtne gebete If in the Evening preceding Sunday after the Sun is set or the Evening preceding Monday after Sun set any Servant by command of his Master shall do any servile work the Master shall be punisht 80 shillings for the fact Gif esne def his pade ƿaes daeger VI sc ƿið dryhten gebete oþþe sinehyd If a Servant shall go a Journey on these daies he shall pay his Master 6 shillings Gif friman þonne an ðane forbodenan timan sio he heals fange
the Historians of those times have thought convenient that the memory of these Apostate Kings should be utterly razed and the same year reckoned the first of King Oswald a man dearly beloved of God OSWALD OSWALD after the death of his Brother was made King of Northumberland He was a Prince well grounded in his Religion and besides many other vertues had accomplisht himself during his Exile in all Military exercises to which in his youth he had studiously addicted himself And indeed the state of the Kingdom at his first entrance upon it being miserably harassed by Cadwallo required no ordinary man to redeem the glory and honour of it He had to deal with an enemy used to Conquer but withal proud and boasting and who by often beating the Northumberlands had now little opinion of the Saxon Valour in general and was therefore grown somewhat secure and negligent in his proceeding Him therefore Oswald with a small but Christian Army attacks by a little River running into Tine near the old Roman Wall the place called Denisborn and after a sharp fight slaies him with the greatest part of his huge Host which he boasted was Invincible It is reported that the first day Oswald though provoked would not joyn battel but spent the whole time in prayers and supplications commanding his Army to do the like and to shew that his trust was more in the protection of the Almighty than the arm of flesh and to profess himself the Souldier os Christ he erected for his Standard a great 〈◊〉 in the field wherein he encamped sustaining the same with his own hands until the Souldiers with earth filled up the ground it was fixed in from this Cross and the Victory ensuing the place was afterwards called 〈◊〉 and the Cross it self was long after much frequented for the Miracles said to be wrought by it Being settled in his Throne by the death of his potent Enemy like a good Prince his first care was to have his people again instructed in the Christian Religion which by the Apostasie of the former Princes and devastations of those times was almost utterly lost among them To this purpose he sends into Scotland where himself had been bred up to have some godly and laborious Preachers sent unto him his desires were readily assented to by the Clergy of that Country and Aidan a Monk and Bishop with others to assist him are accordingly dispatched who coming into Northumberland by their good example and diligent preaching wonderfully restored the Christian Religion insomuch that many thousands are said in few daies to have been Baptized by them This Aidan had assigned to him from the King for an Episcopal Seat a place then called Lindesfarn now Holy Island but he was not so famous by the dignity of his Sec as the singular vertues of his mind being a man above the level of that Age of wonderful moderation and not carried away with the nice and trivial points of Theology which most desperately infected those and latter times And this will more evidently appear by the Testimony of Bede in his preamble to the Councel of Whitby which you may find in the Reign of the following Prince And this might be the reason that he gained so much on the minds of his Auditors for whereas others following the example of Colmar a preacher then in Northumberland delighted more to shew their profound skill in points then controverted than plainly to set forth the grounds of Christianity Aidan on the contrary by easie Doctrine and yielding in things Ceremonial made more Christians by far though fewer Disputants Neither is the devotion and humility of Oswald himself to be passed over who disdained not to be Interpreter to the Bishop in his first preaching for whereas Aidan at his first coming spoke Scotch only or very broken English the King himself to secure him from contempt and to make his words carry more Authority was as you have heard himself the conduit to coveigh them to his People Neither is this King less celebrated for his exceeding Charity and pity to the poor feeding them with his own hands at the Gate and often distributing the plate it self amongst them for which it is said that Aidan being once present taking the King by the right hand thus said or prophesied That it was impossible that hand should parish which had so often sustained others which report goes after his death was fulfilled for that hand remaining uncorrupted was afterwards shrined in Silver and preserved entire in St. Peter's Church in Bebba now Bamborow Thus the Kingdom of Northumberland by the blessing of God and the good endeavours of King Oswald enjoyed the benefits of peace during which time Religion good Laws and Ordinances were established Churches erected through the whole Province and the general State so flourished that all the neighbouring Countries invited by the Princely vertues of Oswald especially the moderation of his Government daily flocked under his obedience insomuch that he had at command at one time people of four different languages Britains Picts Scotch and English Thus after he had Reigned the space of eight years worthy of a longer life he fell by the same fate and the same hands 〈◊〉 Edwin his Predecessour For 〈◊〉 the Pugan King of Mercia envying the greatness of his State made war upon 〈◊〉 and at a place called Maserfield now Oswester in Shropshire cut him in pieces with a great part of his Army on the fifth of August 642. His Body was buried at Bradney in Lincoinshire By his wife Kinburg Daughter of Kingils he had a Son named Ethelwald who being left young was put by the Kingdom by his base Uncle Oswy but he continually gave him trouble in the keeping of it and obtained lastly a Principality in Derra which he held by force after that Oswy had slain Oswyn the Nephew of Edwin who for seven years had held it OSWY OSWY the base Son of Edilfrid the Wild after the death of his Brother succeeded him in the Kingdom The beginning of his Reign was exceedingly turmoiled with the continual incursions of Penda the rebellions of his base Son Alkfrid and the opposition of Ethelwald Son of Edwin and rightful Heir of the Crown But his greatest eye-sore was Oswyn the Son of Osric Edwin's Brother who had possession of Deira a Prince highly beloved by his People for his good nature and much admired for zeal in Religion and humility in the profession of it Against him Oswy raiseth an Army and Oswyn meeteth him but finding himself far Inferiour in number he broke up his Camp which was then at Wilfaresdown ten miles west of Cataracton and reserving himself for a better opportunity with one Attendant named Condhere he withdrew to the house of Earl Hunwald on whose fidelity he much relied but contrary to his expectation he was by the said Earl basely betrayed to King Oswy and by his order as basely murthered at Ingethling Aidan the good Bishop survived not